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It?s Not Raining, Daddy, It?s Happy by Benjamin Brooks-Dutton
The Sunday Times bestsellerThe moving and inspiring account of heartbreak and courage, and the life-affirming relationship between a father and son.Ben Brooks-Dutton's wife - the great love of his life - was knocked down and killed by a car as he walked beside her, pushing their two-year-old son in his buggy. Life changed forever. Suddenly Ben was a widower deep in shock, left to raise their bewildered child alone.In the aftermath Ben searched for guidance from men in similar situations, but it appeared that young widowed fathers don't talk. Well meaning loved ones admired his strength. The unwritten rule seemed to be to 'shut up, man up and hide your pain'.Lost, broken and afraid of the future, two months after his wife Desreen's death, Ben started a blog with the aim of rejecting outdated conventions of grief and instead opening up about his experiences. Within months Life as a Widower, had received a million hits and had started an all-too-often hushed conversation about the reality of loss and grief.This is the story of a man and a child who lost the woman they so dearly love and what happened in the year that followed. Ben describes the conflicting emotions that come from facing grief head on. He rages against the clichés used around loss and shows the strange and cruel ways in which grief can take hold.He also charts what it means to become a sole parent to a child who has lost their mother and cannot yet understand the meaning of death. Through the shock and sadness shine moments of hope and insight. So much of what Ben learns comes from watching his son struggle, survive and live, as children do, from moment to moment where hurt can turn to happiness and anger can turn to joy.This is a story of loss, heartbreak and courage. At its heart is the funny, infuriating and life affirming relationship between a father and son and their ongoing love for an extraordinary woman.
- GenresNonfiction
Paperback
First published May 8, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 29, 2014
This sad true story of It's Not Raining, Daddy, It's Happy, has brought back memories for me.
A few years ago a friend of mine was walking home from a social club, knocked over on the pavement by a speeding car. To make matters worse there was not an amblance immediately available and my friend died. She was always making people laugh never said a bad word to anyone.
In the last 6 months my dog died, my aunt very suddenly died,and an old lady I visited regularly died.
When I bought this book I did not know this book was a true story by Benjamin Brooks-Dutton .
I think that Ben is incredibly brave to write this heartbreaking story about how his wife died.
On 10th november 2010 Ben Brooks-Dutton's wife was knocked down and killed by an out- of - controll car as he walked beside her, pushing their two-year-old son Jackson in his buggy. In the instant Desreen lost her life.
Ben at the age of 33, was lost, broken and afraid of the future. He felt he needed guidence from men in similar situations but there was none to be found. There was no support group or club set up for young, widowed fathers.
Two onths after Desreen's death Ben started a blog, about his experiences of grief. Within a year Life as a Widower Bens blog had recieved a million hits.
Ben's blog is www.lifeasawidower.com
A few years ago a friend of mine was walking home from a social club, knocked over on the pavement by a speeding car. To make matters worse there was not an amblance immediately available and my friend died. She was always making people laugh never said a bad word to anyone.
In the last 6 months my dog died, my aunt very suddenly died,and an old lady I visited regularly died.
When I bought this book I did not know this book was a true story by Benjamin Brooks-Dutton .
I think that Ben is incredibly brave to write this heartbreaking story about how his wife died.
On 10th november 2010 Ben Brooks-Dutton's wife was knocked down and killed by an out- of - controll car as he walked beside her, pushing their two-year-old son Jackson in his buggy. In the instant Desreen lost her life.
Ben at the age of 33, was lost, broken and afraid of the future. He felt he needed guidence from men in similar situations but there was none to be found. There was no support group or club set up for young, widowed fathers.
Two onths after Desreen's death Ben started a blog, about his experiences of grief. Within a year Life as a Widower Bens blog had recieved a million hits.
Ben's blog is www.lifeasawidower.com
December 29, 2023
Early on in the book, the author says that spouses of cancer patients don't grieve until their spouses die. I can tell you from experience, and from reading about anticipatory grief, that this is not the case. I don't begrudge the author this error, but wish that the editor & publisher had been more careful in publishing a book that was going to be read by so many grieving parents.
January 1, 2015
What a wonderful and heartfelt book. I felt the need to keep reading, it felt wrong to put it down somehow. I bought this book after being moved to tears by a session with the Author at britmums 2013. The love he has for his wife is evident on every page.
October 5, 2022
The early part of the book was interesting and its a good thing that child bereavement has been brought to light and a support community has been created.
Unfortunately (as no doubt with bereavement itself) the narrative starts to go around in circles and repeat itself and the book is about 100 pages too long. It mainly covers the first year and it would have been interesting to get to the court case and outcome of that but presumably the idea was to get it published sooner rather than later when public interest had waned. A swift look on Google supplied the answers I was looking for in that respect.
Unfortunately (as no doubt with bereavement itself) the narrative starts to go around in circles and repeat itself and the book is about 100 pages too long. It mainly covers the first year and it would have been interesting to get to the court case and outcome of that but presumably the idea was to get it published sooner rather than later when public interest had waned. A swift look on Google supplied the answers I was looking for in that respect.
June 27, 2023
Děsivá představa. A zajímavý vhled. Musím si zkusit najít ten blog, jestli ho ještě má. Ale literární senzace to zase není.
July 23, 2014
Benjamin Brooks-Dutton is incredibly well spoken. While I didn't agree 100% with everything he says it's OK. He acknowledges that everyone is different. Put into words many feelings I have had over the past year without having the talent to put it to paper.
May 31, 2015
Heartbreaking. Cried lots but a powerful reminder to appreciate life.
February 19, 2015
An amazing book, full of heart-wrenching and incredibly touching writing. It was seriously heavy-hitting, but a joy to read how Jackson grew up.
May 10, 2015
Reading Challenge 2015
29. A memoir
29. A memoir
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews